Zimbabweans Call for International Peacekeeping Intervention

Zimbabweans who have been scarred by weeks of ongoing
violence that is causing significant loss of lives and property are reportedly
calling for the intervention of an international peacekeeping force to end the
spree. This comes after the international community widely condemned the
upheaval. As opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai sought refuge at the Dutch
Embassy in the capital, Harare, diplomats branded President Robert Mugabe’s
government as “illegitimate.”

Partisans
of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) reportedly said the life
of party leader Tsvangirai is in grave danger after he pulled out of this week’s
presidential election run-off. But the ruling ZANU-PF government dismissed the
accusation and describes Tsvangirai as a coward. Busani Ncube is the logistics
director of the Bulawayo project, a non-governmental organization in Zimbabwe’s
commercial capital. From Bulawayo, he tells reporter Peter Clottey that the
time for military intervention is long overdue.

“The
people of Zimbabwe have had enough, and they have suffered enough already. They
don’t want the international community to only talk about Zimbabwe to put
pressure on Mugabe, but they now want action to be taken against this regime,
as we need peacekeepers in Zimbabwe. This is what the people of Zimbabwe expect
at this hour of need,” Ncube pointed out.

He
said there was need for the international community to intervene, even if
President Mugabe’s administration resists any offers to relieve the suffering
of ordinary Zimbabweans.

“Here
we are talking about the lives of the people. We are talking about the
humanitarian crisis. It is no longer about the abuse of human rights. It is
about the humanitarian crisis and the lives of the people and the future of
this country. I think the SADC (Southern African Development Community) and the
AU (African Union) should force themselves. They should check Zimbabwe
seriously and they should hold Mugabe accountable to what is happening in
Zimbabwe,” he noted.

Ncube
said the international community should rebuke what he described as unfortunate
government tactics of violence and intimidation.

“The
international community should rebuke the government and tell Mugabe in no
uncertain terms that this is enough and unacceptable, and they should
immediately send peacekeepers in Zimbabwe with or without the approval of
Mugabe,” Ncube said.

He
said the ruling ZANU-PF party was taken by surprise after the opposition
decided not to be part of this Friday’s presidential election run-off.

“I
think ZANU-PF is shocked as to what the decision of the opposition had taken so
far. They wanted the opposition to remain in the poll so that the MDC will
legitimize this illegitimate election, an election that was predetermined. What
the opposition has done has thrown ZANU-PF’s rigging plan into disarray, and it
has shown that ZANU-PF was determined to rig this election. So, I think they
are very, very much confused,” he said.

Ncube
said partisans of the opposition fear the life of Morgan Tsvangirai is in
danger.

“I
think Tsvangirai’s life is in danger because of this decision to pull out of
the election, which is causing confusion in the camp of the ruling ZANU-PF. I
also fear for the lives of Tsvangirai and other pro-democracy activists in the
country,” Ncube pointed out.

He
said the ruling party would continue with the run-off despite the opposition’s
refusal to be part of the election.

“I
think ZANU-PF will continue with this election. They will use the opposition’s
decision to say they are at an advanced stage of this election, and so the
election is going to go on. And they will force people in the rural areas to go
and vote and try to say Tsvangirai did not pull out of the election so the
election will go ahead and ZANU-PF will win, and they will declare themselves
the winner after going through the poll,” he noted.